Little Red Riding Hood
by MagiZombi
Summary: Full of anxiety and feelings she's ashamed of, Helen Winchester must adjust to a life near someone she's sure can see right through her. She didn't think it could get anymore complicated than that. [Mega revamp of an old story; one-sided SharonxOC]
1. Prologue

_What is it doing?! No! Don't come toward me! Go to the illegal contractor!_

We were so close.

"Helen! Get out of there!"

Hadn't they told me not to interfere?

"HELEN!"

The chain changed before my very eyes for the second time that night. It went from the blonde girl's form it had taken up to its original wolfish appearance. And then...

Standing before me was Sharon.

What was she doing here? It was too dangerous.

"I forgive you, Helen."

I froze, wondering, wondering as I gazed fearfully into those kind violet eyes whether or not I'd heard her correctly.

"Sharon...?"

"I understand everything, Helen. I don't blame you. I've been keeping a secret much like yours."

No-one else's voices were getting through to me. Only Sharon's could be heard as she neared me and wrapped her arms around my waist. For once, I felt safe. Her arms were like coming home. For the first time in forever, I wasn't disgusted with myself. Not even when I let her kiss me.

Only when the spell was broken and I was falling did the mortification truly hit me.

Everyone knew the Big Bad Wolf brought out one's innermost desires.

And now, everyone knew mine.


	2. 1

"I understand. Thank you so much, Madame Sheryl. I am forever indebted to you."

The older woman gave me a gentle smile and a nod.

"Certainly, dear. Anything for an old friend of the family."

I couldn't begin to tell her how grateful I was to her without being utterly childish about. Moments ago I thought I was done for.

With the death of my father came the death of my mother's sanity. He was a wealthy man, and he got us on the good sides of many another wealthy family. When he died, we still had much of that, but I suppose mother did love him in her own way. When he was gone, everything changed. We never attended parties. She hardly even let me out into the yard by myself. Eventually, all of out relatives cut ties with us, fearful that Mother may rub off on them or worse. After that, it wasn't long until she died and left behind a very sheltered and very alone daughter.

But, insanity appeared to make the papers, and it didn't take long for our old family friend - the head of the Rainsworth dukedom - to drop in and rescue me.

In spite of all this, all I could do was curtsy and smile at her. I was an adult, and I knew I had to act like it. However, there were different schools of thought.

"Why, hello, Miss Winchester!" greeted the most eccentric of Sheryl's servants as he practically skipped into the room. "I can't believe it's actually you! You were only thiiiis big when I saw you last!"

As he spoke, he held one of his hands out at about the level of his rib cage.

For the life of me, I couldn't recall his name.

"Come along; I'll show you to your room," he promised as he placed one sleeve-drowned hand on my shoulder and ushered me forward.

"I'm afraid I don't quite remember you," I admitted nervously as I was hurried forth, my eyes shifting about.

The man pushing me forward chuckled.

"That's to be expected," he told me. "My name is Xerxes Break."

I felt more than a little sheepish at having forgotten about such a vibrant character. In my defense, though, my thoughts centered around this family were mostly about the Rainsworths' heiress, with whom I was very good friends as a child. Good friends. That was all.

"I can't wait until Sharon sees you," continued Break, almost as though reading my thoughts. "The two of you were so close. She's missed you all this time."

I doubted that was true. For all I knew, Break could be comforting me with a lie. Was he the sort of person who would do that, though?

"Oh?" was all I could say in reply.

The man chuckled once more and nodded. It was strange and unnerving to be in his presence. I had this feeling like he was looking straight through me, like he knew what I was. I shuddered at the eerie thought and tried to concentrate, instead, on reaching our destination.

"Here we are~!" Break singsonged, opening up a door virtually indistinguishable from those around it. "This is where you'll be sleeping."

"Thank you, Xerxes," I responded, not sure how to address my fellow servant formally.

It seemed 'Xerxes' would do, as he merely smiled and nodded back to me before deciding, "I'll let you grow accustomed to your new living arrangements before I show you the rest of the house. If you need me, I'm staying just across the hall.

I wasn't sure if I was all that pleased with sleeping just across the hall from this mind reader of a person, but I smiled to acknowledge this fact, anyway.

"Thank you, Xerxes," I said again.

"Break will do," Break informed me before stepping back out of my room.

It was larger than I expected. Then again, I suppose I really should have known better if I was going to reside with one of the Four Dukedoms. I felt more than a little grateful, truth be told. There I was, thinking I'd be lucky if I could find a humble, safe place to sleep on my own when one of my old friends rescued me and gave me a beautiful space to call my own. Perhaps someone was looking out for me, after all.


	3. 2

It wasn't until the second day that I saw who I most longed to see.

I was hard at work, I thought. At least, i was attempting to become accustomed to my new schedule. Break had me in charge of laundry, setting the table for meals, and greeting whoever was at the door. I had other chores, as well, if they came up. Namely, I was instructed to see to whatever I felt needed to be done.

When it happened, I was in the middle of washing a slip[laundry was sort of an embarrassing job for someone like me], and I heard voices moving toward me. What stood out most, though, was that I recognised both of the voices.

And I was sure one of them meant nothing but trouble.

"There you are! I almost didn't see you there! You really are so plain. Perhaps you should do something new with your hair," Break chattered, seemingly attempting to sound amiable.

_Thanks, _I thought sourly, only looking up to them with a pleasant smile out of necessity.

Seeing that I was correct that Break had brought _her _with him, I quickly stood, brushed my hands off on my skirt, and curtsied to her.

"I beg your pardon, Milady," I said meekly, my head bowed/ "I did not realise you would be stopping by to see - "

"Oh, Helen," break interrupted with a laugh. "You needn't be so formal! Milady simply wishes to reunite with a dear old friend."

Sharon, I found when I looked up again, was giving me quite a friendly smile. My face felt hot, and I found that I couldn't maintain eye contact.

"Is this really Helen Winchester?"

Shockingly, her smile grew wider. Could it be? Was she happy to see me?

_Don't be ridiculous._

"Yes, Milady," I replied politely.

To my great surprise, Sharon took my hands into hers and stared at me a moment. My heart nearly stopped altogether.

"You've grown so much," she remarked, squeezing my hands. "I can't believe it's been so long."

"Me...neither, Milady," I replied, dumbfounded.

"Please, Helen, you can call me Sharon. We are still friends, aren't we?"

I wondered just how red my face was getting at this point.

"My, my, Milady," Break piped up. "You never miss an opportunity to prey on young men and women, do you?"

"BREAK!" Sharon scolded.

I stared at him a moment, quite mortified, before I realised he was merely joking. The damage was done, however. My face was so warm I was certain it was as red as that eye of his.

"Please excuse his rudeness," Sharon laughed, seeming a bit awkward as she shoved Break meaningfully. "It seems, in his old age, he's losing more and more of his self-control."

Break chuckled at that comment.

"At any rate, it really is so nice to see you, Helen. I really do want to catch up, but I can see you're busy."

Oh, how I wished I could abandon my duties just to spend time with her!

"I shouldn't take too long," I told her with a smile.

"Wonderful," Sharon replied. "Come by my bedroom when you're finished. We can have tea."

Goodness, that sounded heavenly.

"I will," I promised.

With that, Sharon nodded pleasantly to me and left the room with a smirking Break in tow.


	4. 3

Weeks passed, turning into a month. It was all more or less the same every day. I got used to my schedule, even thought it changed every now and then. It seemed as though I'd left all that unnecessary stress and insanity behind me when I came here. Unfortunately, I really should have known that nothing could be absolute.

It began with a mumbled conversation taking place in the direction I headed. I wasn't trying to be nosy. Honest. it just so happened that the evident conspirators were in my path, almost as though that sketchy, one-eyed servant had lain a trap for me.

"Break, I'm telling you, it's ludicrous to send them on this mission. Just how many lessons do you feel you need to teach that boy?"

Even though I wasn't trying to be nosy, my curiosity was piqued. Mission? Lessons? That boy? What on Earth was all this nonsense?

I could hear Break click his tongue at the other.

"Liam, Liam, Liam. It's not as if this contractor's seal has made a full revolution yet," Break pointed out reasonably.

Though I hadn't a clue what the two were discussing, I could practically see the frustration in Liam's face.

Liam Lunettes was a very professional man, always in uniform and always adjusting his glasses. He acted as a servant to the Barma household, though I believed that he had a very odd history with the Rainsworths. For some reason, unknown to all but Liam himself, this very serious and work-oriented man chose to acquaint himself with Xerxes Break: The man who, in every way, was his opposite.

"Master Gilbert will chew your head off if you keep doing things like this!"

_Gilbert is a name I'm not quite familiar with, _I noted to myself as I neared the site of the argument.

My pace slowed subconsciously, curious as I was, and Break let out a carefree little laugh.

"Goodness, Liam, it's almost as if you're operating under the assumption that Gilbert's harsh words have any effect on me!"

"You really should listen to that man," Liam warned. "He may be a bit overprotective - "

"Obsessed," Break interrupted.

" - Over Oz," Liam continued, "but sometimes you really do put that boy in too much danger."

Oz? I'd heard of one Oz, and maybe I'd even met him when we were younger: Oz Vessalius, if I recalled correctly. Yet, what immediately came to mind along with his image was the news just ten years ago, proclaiming that he'd mysteriously gone missing at his own coming-of-age ceremony.

"I don't think anyone really understands that I'm doing this for Gilbert's sake more than anyone else's," Break sighed. "He needs to - "

_CRASH!_

Just like that, I remembered my chore. I was carrying the breakfast dishes back to the kitchen. _Was _being the operative term.

I stared, paralyzed, at the shattered remnants of teacups scattered on the floor, some still rocking from the impact from before. My body was frozen in that posture that hoped for the teacups' last-minute rescue. I could feel my eyes slowly shift upward against my will to see the two men - one shocked and the other quite amused - suddenly standing before me and the mess I'd made.

I continued to gape even as Break burst into another fit of laughter. It was a nice sound, to be sure, and perhaps I could have appreciated it if it hadn't also been so _evil, _one that seemed to feed off the suffering of poor souls such as Liam and me.

"Goodness, what a mess we have here," he chuckled, shaking his head and leaning forward slightly on his walking stick. "Two, by the looks of it. Liam, you clean up the one on the floor, and I'll get the one about to collapse against the wall."

i tried to ignore the fact that I was being referred to as a mess in need of cleaning up as Break ushered me down the hall.

"We - we really shouldn't leave Liam to deal with my problem," I tried, peering back over my shoulder at the other servant.

Break shook his head, that stupid smile still on his face.

I wanted to hurt him, but that would be unladylike.

"I'm going to cut right to the chase, Helen," he stated plainly, "and suppose that you heard most of that conversation."

"Oh, well, I wouldn't say _most _so much as - "

"So much as what?" he prodded, sensing my hesitation. "Because, you know, just because I'm old doesn't mean I can't hear well. And your idea of sneaking about is...well, it's quite sad, if I'm honest."

My face flushed, and I fiddled with my skirt quietly.

"You may as well come clean. I won't kill you or anything. Unless you want me to, I suppose."

I shook my head quickly, stammering, "Oh, no, I just...I just heard something about a-a mission and a contractor and...and people named Gilbert and Oz, but - "

"That much, mm?"

"I didn't understand a word of it," I said quickly.

"But I'm sure you're curious. Aren't you? Aren't you curious?" Break teased.

By this point, I was shaking violently and chewing on my lip almost hard enough to draw blood. I was no good at being put on the spot like this, particularly when I knew the eccentric man was right. I _was _curious. I knew no good could come of this, and I could spot the evil glint in that scarlet eye of his, but _god _was I curious!

Not wanting to really grace the infuriating man with a verbal reply, however, I merely nodded, clasping my hands low in front of me.

"There's really no avoiding this anyway, since you heard Oz's name."

"You found Master Oz?" I guessed, figuring out by now that he was speaking of the Vessalius heir.

Break grinned.

"You're brighter than you seem, Helen."

_Thanks._

"Well, who did it, then? And why would they keep him alive all these years?"

Break _tsked _at me, shaking his head.

"Oh, Helen. You really are such a naive creature."

_Thanks._

"Have you ever heard of the Abyss?"

I couldn't help it. I gave the older man an incredulous look.

_How old are you, anyway? _I thought. _Believing in such fables! For someone with so much condescension, you really are a foolish man._

"That's a fairytale," I finally told him, skepticism oozing from my voice.

I simply couldn't be respectful toward these delusions. Break clearly needed some growing up.

And yet, my logical statement seemed to spark another bout of melodic yet rude laughter from the man.

"Goodness, Helen, you needn't be so closed-minded," Break reprimanded, smiling eerily.

"'Closed-minded'?" I repeated indignantly. "I am not a child, Break, and you are even less so!"

"Well, Helen, like it or not, Oz Vessalius was thrown into the Abyss."

He was grinning widely, obviously amused. Clearly, he was toying with me to watch my reaction. Of all the lies he could have told me!

"We were supposed to retrieve him, but he seemed to just let himself out through an illegal contract."

"There's another of your terms," I pointed out, curiosity momentarily weighing out frustration. "What on Earth is an illegal contract?"

"I'll get to that, eventually. I didn't realise you were so impatient."

My face heated up, embarrassment for how I was acting finally catching up with me.

"I'll ask a simpler question: You've heard of Pandora, correct?"

"Yes..." I replied, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure everyone has."

"But, do you know what their true purpose is?"

I opened my mouth to give him the answer, but closed it yet again once I pondered those carefully chosen words: 'True purpose'. Instead, I gave Break a look that told him to continue before I further made a fool of myself.

"Pandora works in the shadows," Break explained, ushering me forward so we could walk through the walls as we spoke. "We apprehend illegal contractors and, well, we deal with anything related to the Abyss, really."

He glanced at me to ensure he had my attention. He did.

Satisfied, he continued, "You see, in the Abyss, there live creatures called Chains. Multitudes of them. Their purpose, mainly, is to come into our dimension and make a contract with someone. At the end of which they will consume the person or drag them back down into the Abyss."

There was that Abyss speak again. But, I suspended my disbelief for the time being, as it was actually beginning to leave me altogether.

"Oz made one such contract with a chain known as B-Rabbit. However, there's a deeper story there that I don't particularly feel like getting into right now. So, moving on: I suppose you're wondering now what makes a legal contractor."

Hesitantly, I nodded once more. I was really curious about Oz's illegal contract, however. Why hadn't he been apprehended? Why was he being sent on missions? Why wasn't Break concerned over the ticking clock of the heir's contract?

I kept quiet, however. If there was one thing I knew about Break, it was that he was too stubborn to be convinced to explain something he clearly didn't want to.

"They do exist," he continued, either not seeing my true curiosity or choosing to ignore it. "But, they're only Pandora members."

Break reached for a small silver chain around his neck, drawing out an odd pendant from his shirt. As I inspected the pendant, I saw within it an odd, intricate, circular design.

"This pendant is our method of contracting with chains. With it, my contract with the Mad Hatter will not wind up with me being swallowed by the Abyss. Yet, I can still use the Mad Hatter's power."

As he dropped the pendant back into his shirt and resumed walking with me, I couldn't help but ask, "So your chain won't kill you either, then?"

This entire conversation was a lot to wrap my head around.

"Not quite," Break told me, absently brushing his index finger against the skin around his eye. "This sort of contract puts a great strain on my body. It keeps me from physically aging, but I may not live another year."

My heart sunk as a horrible thought struck me.

"And...and Lady Sharon?"

Break smiled, but it didn't seem quite so mean this time, quite so teasing.

"Milady's contract hasn't yet run its course," he promised. "She'll still be around long after you're rid of me."

"Oh...oh, no, I didn't mean - "

"It's alright," the man chuckled. "I don't care one way or the other what you think of me."

Truthfully, that was a little saddening, as I was slowly growing fond of this man in spite of how horribly agitating he could be. Sort of like a brother or something of the like. Those feelings aside, however, I found myself thinking of something much worse, something that could have negative implications for me.

"...Why are you telling me all of this?" I asked warily.

Break chuckled.

"Ah, yes."

He cleared his throat and stopped, leaning on his cane.

"Would you consider being my subordinate at Pandora?"

"Break, that's not - "

"Consider it fast."

"It's not practical!"

"We could use the extra help~."

"After what you said - !"

"What choice do you have, Helen?" he reasoned. "You can join Pandora, or you can live your boring life here and be left out of all official business."

He paused a moment, that grin returning with a vengeance.

"Including Milady's."

In all honesty, I didn't want to deal with official business. I didn't want to deal with the nightmare dimension known as the Abyss. I certainly didn't want to slowly kill myself by making any sort of agreement with a monster. But, more than anything, I didn't want to miss out on a whole chunk of Sharon's life, however long it lasted. Particularly not after being locked away for the past god-knows-how-many years.

"Break," I sighed, wringing my hands, "you're right. I...really don't have a choice. And...I may as well do something meaningful with myself."

"That's the spirit!" Break chuckled, patting me on the back. "No more being stuck in the house for you!"

My face flushed indignantly at the reference to my past.

"So," I said quickly, taking a deep breath, "...what do I do first?"


	5. 4

"You're telling me this is completely safe?" I demanded, refusing to step any closer to the foreboding door.

"Oh, Helen, it's been done hundreds of times before."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," I pointed out as Break pushed me forward.

"It's not hard," he told me. "Just let your chain come to you."

I clutched the pendant he'd given me, not at all sure what I'd be looking for.

"I'll be right here," he promised, and though it sounded teasing I still took some comfort in it.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward, placing one violently shaking hand on one of the bars over the doorway. I gripped it, hoping to steady myself and quell my anxiety.

However, it appeared that wouldn't happen, as all at once the room around me seemed to change. Darkness engulfed it, and I no longer had the bar to clutch. Menacing fog fell all around me, and I couldn't feel anything except my crippling terror. For a good while, nothing happened. I merely stood there, quaking as though the very ground beneath me was shaking.

Then, all at once, I was confronted by this terrible creature. I could call it a gigantic grey wolf, but it was so much worse than simply that. Its eyes moved constantly, made up of hypnotic red, orange, and yellow circles. Its ears were studded in gold and jewels. Its stomach seemed as though it had been open at one time in an 'X' shape and shoddily stitched together again. What was worse, it was giving me this...hungry look as it neared me. This couldn't be it. I couldn't make a contract with a creature that so obviously wanted to feel my blood cake its claws!

All of the sudden, it tilted its head, which seemed to trigger a horrid, distorted, roar-shriek of a noise. When I listened closely, I could hear something within it that sounded akin to the word "**CONTRACT?**"

_This must be the chain, then. It has to be. It's the one that came to me, after all..._

So, remembering the steps Break gave me, I took the beastly thing up on its offer.

* * *

I was so, so worried I wouldn't make it back to the real world.

But, there I was, leaning back against my fellow servant as though I had fainted. I was still shaking, my breathing shallow with utter panic. Not wanting to just have Break keep me upright, I pushed myself onto my own feet, very nearly falling over again.

"So, how did it go?" Break asked, feigning a pleasantness I knew very well he didn't have.

I looked at him a moment before fumbling with my new pendant, looking at it as well and praying I didn't somehow mess up and make an illegal contract by mistake.

Break let out another of his cruelly beautiful laughs and brought his hand p to support the pendant himself.

"Wonderful job, Helen, wonderful," he commended me(and I couldn't help but beam with pride at what I felt would be the only compliment I'd ever be given by the strange man). "Did you get what your chain was called?"

It never told me. I wasn't sure if it could truly talk. Yet, somewhere deep down, I _knew _what it was called.

"I think...I think it was called The Big Bad Wolf."

Well, _that _wasn't menacing at all.

Break chuckled.

"How fascinating," he remarked. "I believe..."

He thought a moment, trying to remember something unknown to me.

"Why, yes, that one is a master of disguise."

I gave him a questioning look, encouraging him to continue.

"It's much like a Mad Baby. Mad Babies take your memories from you, use them to create an image of someone you care about, most often, play with your emotions. You know."

As he spoke, he lead me out of that unnerving room. He must have been horribly tired of seeing me shake and wring my hands like a terrified child.

"It is a little different, however. The Big Bad Wold can ascertain whether love or fear will motivate a person more and acts accordingly. It can reflect a person's deepest desires, and it can echo a person's darkest fears. Yes, the Wolf is an interesting chain, to be sure. It can be the bait for a trap or even be the trap itself. I'm surprised it chose someone so...small and insignificant."

_Thanks..._

"You should be wary, however. The disguise ability is a tricky one to use and control. It puts a great strain on both the Wolf and its contractor. For every minute in disguise, the Wolf needs a day to recover afterward. It cannot be in disguise for fifteen minutes or more, because it will lose control of itself at that point and turn on its contractor."

I swallowed a lump in my throat, and my horrid shaking started up again.

"How can I use a chain that can't even do anything without straining itself?" I demanded, sounding, admittedly, quite whiny.

"It has more powers, you know," he went on. "They rely more on physical power than mental, but they are quite frightening. For instance, I know it has tentacles that can practically squeeze the life out of a person."

Break thought a moment before snapping his fingers.

"Another precaution - do have a good handle on your chain. The Big Bad Wolf is a ravenous one, and it has a nasty habit of devouring people indiscriminately, including its contractor."

I felt dizzy as I took this in, feeling a horrible, horrible weight on my shoulders all of the sudden.

_If the contract doesn't kill me, the contractee will..._

"Don't worry, though," he reassured me. "You'll get the hand of it. So long as you don't treat this like owning a pet, that is."

I shook my head and stared at my pendant, feeling darkness and evil emanating off of it like nothing else ever had.


	6. 5

"I'm happy you can join me for tea," Sharon told me as I laid out the proper dishes on her little tea table.

I smiled to myself, as pleased as could be. The last time I'd had tea with Sharon was that first day I arrived at the house. Since then...I'd been quite busy.

"I'd say it's just like old times," the dainty young woman continued, "except we were much younger then. Playing children's games and the like."

I chuckled.

"It's much better this way," I told her.

I was quite nervous, at first, to be reunited with her. I was so worried she'd see what I was, that she'd know my ultimate weakness. But that wasn't the case at all.

She was so sweet, so mature, so understanding. I might still have been cripplingly anxious around her - that couldn't be helped, I'm afraid - , worried about what I might do in front of her to fall out of her favour. But...at least that anxiety could be quieted just a little bit when I was with her. Parts of me that usually buzzed with worry and fear were still, calm, almost serene when I was near her.

"I'd have to agree with you there," she said thoughtfully. "I do enjoy the notion of catching up with you this way."

She enjoyed it. She _wanted_ to spend time with me. My heart thudded feverishly in my chest.

"I heard Break was giving you trouble?"

I froze a moment.

"Oh...well, not...not too much."

Sharon smiled with benevolent understanding.

"He told me everything," she continued. "I'm surprised the Wolf found itself a contractor. Thus far, it's kept hidden. It must have seen something special in you, Helen."

If I was smart, I would have felt the dark implications lurking in my contract. But, clearly, I wasn't smart. All I could focus on was Sharon's kind remark, the way my name sounded on her lips.

"Oh...it's...it's not a big deal," I replied shyly as I finally took my seat across from her.

Sharon chuckled.

"I just find it interesting, is all. The Big Bad Wolf hasn't had a contractor in ages, legal or illegal."

"Really?"

To my credit, I was smart enough to be a little weary of this fact. Why, then, - at the risk of self-deprecation - would this chain have chosen to contract with someone so puny? Why?

"Yes, but you needn't worry. I understand it's odd to be working so closely with...well, with almost demonic creatures, but it's not as bad as it seems. Particularly not for legal contractors, such as you and I."

"I certainly hope so," I worried, though Sharon's comforting words were helping me to feel a little better about this dreadful situation.

Sharon reached across the table to give my hand a reassuring squeeze, and my heart rate went up again.

"You're very red, Helen," she mused. "I hope you aren't getting a fever just worrying about this mess."

"Oh, oh no, Lady Sharon. I'm just...just a little warm is all," I reassured her with a rather queasy smile.

"I know what you mean," she replied, accepting my cover story as fact easily. "I'll get this window open."

As she spoke, she stood from the tea table and pushed the window next to it open. I allowed my hands to fall into my lap and fidget nervously as the warm remnants of Sharon's touch radiated off of the right one.

"Goodness, Helen, I really do hope you'll have more free time from this point on. It's not been quite the same without you here."

"Oh?" I responded, nervously sipping my tea. "I hope so, too."

"Yes...then again, it does get rather dull here without anything to do. Does it sound mad that I often wish for assignments?"

It did, truthfully, but some part of me found itself agreeing with her.

_Wonderful,_ I thought blandly. _We'll all turn into Break at this rate._

"Not really," I decided to say. "Actually, I have yet to receive an assignment. So - "

"Then today's your lucky day, Red Riding Hood!" interrupted the eccentric man, using the rather insulting nickname he'd recently coined for me. "What would you say to an opportunity to test out that wolf of yours?"

My stomach churned at the prospect, actually. But what choice did I have at this point?

"I suppose so," I replied, standing and smoothing my skirt. "What...manner of assignment is it?"

Break beckoned me to him with one of those oversized sleeves of his. I strode to him anxiously, glancing back at Sharon once more before I faced him.

"Would you like to come see to the meeting as well, Milady?" he asked politely.

"I don't see why not," Sharon responded, getting to her feet gracefully. "But, you had better let me have an assignment this time. I don't know how much more of this I can stand."

"We'll see, Milady," Break chuckled as he led us from the room. "We'll see."


	7. 6

I was thankful we didn't have far to travel. We merely went to the Rainsworths' patio to meet a surprisingly small number of characters. Aside from the three of us, there was only a nonplussed black-haired man, a smiling blond boy, and an angry brunette girl.

"What took you so long?" said angry girl snapped. "And why did you bring back_ this_ girl? I thought you were getting the Big Bad Wolf's contractor. There's _no way_ the Wolf would have contracted with that puny thing!"

_Wow, I'm surrounded by people who adore me,_ I thought sarcastically, shrinking a little behind Break.

"Now, now, Alice," Break chided playfully. "You should at least try to be nice to Helen to her face."

_And then make fun of me behind my back._

"She's had a rough time lately, and she_ does_ have a contract with the Wolf."

My contract seemed to be the only thing determining my worth as a person.

The man with the wavy black hair stared disdainfully at me.

"For once, I have to agree with the stupid rabbit," he remarked. "How am I supposed to believe that _she's_ the first person in generations to successfully contract with the Big Bad Wolf?"

"Well, Raven, you'll just have to take my word for it, won't you?"

All I could do was watch them argue over me. I felt like I had no power over the proceedings, like I was an observer in my own life.

"Honestly, Break, the only thing we know about her is that her mother went off the deep end and stripped them of nobility status," Raven reasoned.

"Well, _everyone_ know that," Break chuckled. "But, I can assure you that Helen is quite sane and quite useful. And you're taking her on your next assignment."

"I'm not a babysitter," Raven protested flatly. "I'm not going to look after your new project."

Break laughed as though that were a preposterous thing to even think.

"Oh, Gilbert, you haven't got a choice! That is, unless you want to be left out this time and let Oz, Alice, and Helen go off on their own."

I took note of what I could assume was "Raven"'s real name as his jaw set with contempt and irritation.

"Have you ever considered that she may put this assignment in jeopardy? That she may put _us_ in jeopardy?"

I chewed my lower lip, anxiously looking to Break for his reply.

"I briefed her on what she needs to know. She's not as dimwitted as she seems."

I wasn't sure if that was better than what he'd been saying about me or not.

"I'm still not carrying anyone," Gil stated stubbornly.

"Nobody's asking you to."

Suddenly, the blond boy - who had a striking resemblance to Oz Vessalius as I used to know him - cleared his throat.

"You know, maybe we should introduce ourselves to her," he suggested with a small smile in my direction. "We should make her feel welcome."

I smiled back gratefully and gave him a short curtsy. He stood from the table and approached me, holding out his hand to shake and seeming to pour all of the warmth he could into his expression. I was slightly uncomfortable, but I accepted his invitation. Somehow, I only felt more anxious.

"I'm Oz," he introduced himself in a gentle voice. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh...well...my name is Helen," I replied dumbly.

Just by glimpsing him out of the corner of my eye, I knew I could expect no help from Break in this situation.

In an unexpected turn of events, the brunette girl literally stomped on Oz's back, effectively knocking him off of me.

"I'm Alice! Don't you think of taking my manservant from me!" she shouted.

I flushed furiously, shooting Break a brief glance for help.

"It...it's nice to meet you, Alice," I stammered.

Break chuckled, but continued doing nothing to help either me or Oz.

"And this is Gilbert," he said instead, gesturing to the grumpy raven-haired man, who was running to shove Alice off of Oz. "He has an unhealthy obsession - "

"Shut up, Break!" Gil snapped - though he seemed more frustrated and embarrassed than truly angry - , helping Oz up and dusting him off.

I curtsied politely to Gilbert as well, feeling that his evident disdain for me warranted it. He ignored me, of course, but I still felt like I'd done something right, at least.

"At any rate," Break continued, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Little Red Riding Hood here will be accompanying you to Solemn Grove."

I fidgeted a bit as Gilbert - against my mental pleading - repeated "Little Red Riding Hood?", not wanting Break to explain it yet again.

But, as was expected, he did it anyway.

"Why, yes, Gilbert. She doesn't really live up to the name of 'Big Bad Wolf', after all. It seems more to me like the Wolf honed in on a defenseless, weak, little girl and deemed her more of his subordinate than his equal."

Gilbert said nothing, but he did give me a brief looking over before seeming to agree.

"Is anyone else going?" Oz asked, graciously changing the subject.

"Not as far as I know," Break replied thoughtfully before shrugging. "Be wary, though. Unforeseen occurrence and all that. And don't forget to summon your chain, Helen. The carriage is waiting out front."


	8. 7

_I'm going to die,_ I thought gravely as I tried in earnest to feel my legs...my feet...really, anything but my stomach.

"Help," I croaked, hearing and feeling the agonized tears in my voice. "H-help me..."

"C'mon," Gilbert said, hauling me up into his arms and carrying me back to the carriage. "You did well. Better than I thought you would. Let's get you out of here."

When did he get there? And why was he deigning to carry me, the liability?

I heard voices. Familiar voices.

"What's wrong with Helen?" Oz asked as I was lain carefully on one of the carriage seats, my head in someone's lap.

"Her chain," Gilbert replied. "I think it put too much strain on her. Dammit, Break."

"Will she live?" Oz asked worriedly.

Something eerie flashed across my closed eyelids. I shuddered.

"I don't know," he stated grimly. "Neither of them said anything about this."

I wrapped my arms around my stomach, groaning pitifully. It felt like I had swallowed several large stones! Was I really going to die?

"We gotta hurry then! Did Sharon leave Equus with us?" Oz demanded.

"I'm not s - "

"Yes, I'm here," came the muffled reply.

_Sharon._

"What's the matter?"

"Break's little _'project'_ fell ill after using her chain's powers," Gilbert grumbled from above.

"Is she alright?"

_She's worried about_ me.

"I don't know. They didn't tell me anything about her power! Can you get that idiot, Break, for me?"

"Of course," Sharon replied, and I heard a teacup being set down. "One moment."

It seemed an eternity before another voice came on.

"Gilbert? Does Little Red Riding Hood have a tummy ache?" Break asked patronizingly.

"Break, what the _hell_ is going on?" Gilbert demanded impatiently.

"She'll be alright, Raven. The disguise ability merely drains power from the Wolf and its contractor," he explained calmly. "Do you know how many minutes it was active?"

"S-six," I managed weakly, having remembered what Break had told me about my new powers.

"See? She'll only be down six days. Good job, Helen."

I would have smiled at that unexpected commendation, but my whole body was in too much agony. Not to mention that my mind was being plagued by these horrid images that were becoming clearer and clearer by the second.

All at once, the real world dropped out of focus.


	9. 8

It looked, oddly enough, like the place I'd made my contract. And yet, this time it felt..._different._

_Perhaps it's because I've lost my clothes._

I sat down on the black, seemingly abysmal ground, drawing my knees to my chest to cover myself. At least the pain was fainter, almost a memory.

"Who brought me here?" I asked at last, knowing that I wouldn't be there for no reason.

_Chaaaaaaainssssss._

I looked up at the source of this noise, which seemed to be both words uttered aloud and thoughts transmitted into my mind all at once. It was a headache to figure it out. I was surprised to see the giant wolf that wasn't there mere seconds before. It was giving me that hungry stare again, making growling sounds and howls that sounded like the ideas of words and were the source of this headache. It's a very difficult experience to describe to someone who's never experienced it.

_My chaaaaaaaaain...my chaaaaaaaain..._

"Yes, you're...you're my chain," I said dumbly, feeling smaller than I ever had before.

_My chain...trapped with nothing...trapped with nothing...my __**PRISON.**_

I tightened my arms around my knees protectively.

_Chaaaaainsssssssss...chaaaaaainssss...chaaaaainssssss..._

It flicked a claw at my arm, its eyes seeming to try to come up with ideas on what to do with me. Chills went racing down my spine, and I couldn't seem to look away from it.

_Freeeeeee...freeeeeee..._

"What...what are you telling me?" I asked shakily.

_Freeeeee from sheeee who tetherssssss..._

"What do you want?" I cried, but it merely continued to speak in riddles.

_Freeeeee from sheeeeee who shakesssssss...freeeeeee from the unworthyyyyy...freeeeeee...free from the weak one..._

This was more than eerie. How did I get here, anyway?! I was in the horse-drawn carriage! Not at the contractors' gate! I shouldn't have been there!

"Stop it..."

_Free from the weak one..._

"Stop!"

_Free..._

"I said stop it!" I screamed, placing my hands over my ears to no avail.

The voice was in my head.

But, it quit. Looked down at me.

_No power...you havvvvve...no power heeeerrrre..._

"Wh - "

_Stop what?_

"Wait, I - "

_Helen, wake up._

* * *

" - ake up."

I opened my eyes, and my misery seemed to have toned down slightly. I groaned and blinked the fog away, relieved to see that I was tucked into a bed. And wearing clothing.

Break was there, seeming...what? Concerned? Upset? Not as amused as he usually was; that I was certain of.

"What was all that talking you were doing?" he asked with a frown, seeing that I had rejoined the waking world. "It was quite creepy. I think you should stop."

I bit the inside of my cheek.

"D-d-did Vincent show up?" I asked, choosing to ignore Break's statement.

I had heard vague mentions of Vincent Nightray before. I had never wanted to meet this man. As a matter of fact, I was repulsed by the idea of having to enter the same room as such a shady person. And yet, I had heard mention that he, as a member of Pandora, wanted to come and meet me as well. I wasn't thrilled by this idea, and neither was Break, whose age was showing as soon as I'd inquired about the adopted Nightray.

"As soon as he heard the new contractor was down. I do wish you'd have brought him up later. Or, perhaps not at all, for he wishes to speak with you as soon as you regain consciousness.

"Well, then...he's...he's here?" I squeaked, and Break nodded reluctantly.

"I suppose there's no avoiding it," he sighed as he stood from the seat next to my bed. "I'll go call him in."

"Hey...Break?"

The odd man glanced back at me expectantly.

"Would you stay in here...? While Vincent's speaking with me, I mean...?"

After all, if this was the Vincent who'd been adopted by the Nightrays - and there was no possibility it was anyone else - , I certainly didn't want to be alone with him in a small, enclosed space. Or, really, anywhere.

Break's expression cycled quickly from tired to disgusted to amused. Seeing his admittedly unsettling grin made me feel a bit relieved, for it meant he was back to normal. Normal for himself, at any rate.

"Certainly, Helen. I'll do what I can, anyway."

I winced a bit, feeling embarrassed over what I'd asked of him. He didn't seem to consider us friends, after all. He didn't owe me anything. And, on top of it all, I was a grown woman. I didn't need him to hold my hand through all the scary parts of life. Shoving those thoughts aside, I painstakingly forced myself into an upright position - or, something that resembled one. I still couldn't stand. The use of my legs seemed like a far-off dream, in fact. But, this would have to do.

"Hello, Master Nightray," I greeted, nodding to him politely in place of the curtsy I would have normally offered as he followed Break into the room.

"Why, I didn't expect to see Miss Winchester here," the blond man remarked with an off smile. "What's more, she doesn't seem to have grown in all this time. You did mention the Wolf's contractor was small and insignificant, Mr. Hatter, but to this degree? Surely this is one of your tricks."

I shrank a little at the comment, and Break chuckled with a shake of his head.

"At any rate, pathetic or not, you _are_ the Wolf's chosen contractor."

I swallowed a nervous lump.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" I asked, wishing he'd get to the point more quickly.

"I suppose, in light of your recent_ utter failure_ to handle its power, I'm curious as to how you'll handle its _hunger_."

The word was sinister on Vincent's lips, and his mismatched eyes twinkled with a cruel amusement. I stared at him and put forth every effort to keep my face blank, though I could feel my usual nervous shaking start up.

"After all, the Wolf isn't renowned for its niceties, but rather it's utterly ferocious and insatiable hunger for human flesh. Or, were you just hoping to forget that? To disregard your responsibility?"

It was more than obvious Vincent looked down on me and had no faith in my abilities whatsoever.

"I can...I can handle it," I told him, neither feeling nor sounding confident.

The blond man chuckled condescendingly.

"I should hope so. You have the most to lose, after all."

Everything that came out of his mouth sounded like a threat. Was that his intention? Or was he naturally creepy?

I tensed when I could feel the tremors coming.

"I-I understand," I promised. "I'll live up to the Wolf's name. A-and I won't prove to be usef-less."

_Do I have to make so many mistakes? Talking shouldn't be this hard! I'm not an infant!_

"Is this really the only reason you're here, Master Vincent?" Break piped up, thankfully taking those hetero-chromatic eyes off of me for the moment. "Because I could have frightened the poor thing just as well by myself, you know."

Vincent regarded the other with disdain in his eyes but a cold smile on his lips.

"But of course, Hatter, you couldn't get a look at the 'Mystery Contractor' for me. I can't see through your...eye, after all."

With that, he turned his attention back to me, leaving Break to, apparently, ponder the best way to end the other man's life. The hostility in the room was practically pressing down on me.

"I am disappointed to have come all this way just to see the lost little noble had contracted with this beast."

He gave me a pointed glance before turning back to Break.

"She's not going to make it."


	10. 9

"Why on earth do we even let that parasite into our home?" Break lamented. "Most people _kill_ rats when they see them in their home, not give them a cup of tea and ask them to stay a while."

"Xerx," Sharon scolded from her spot next to my bed, "Vincent is a member of Pandora just as much as you or I. I know he's unsettling, and I know you dislike him, but we must behave like civilized people."

"You don't like him either, Milady," Break pointed out.

"Does anybody?" I managed to ask, genuinely curious.

Break looked at me a moment, then he laughed.

"Oh, goodness, Red Riding Hood," he chuckled. "That's a very good question."

"Why did he come in here, anyway? Gilbert's not here, and he didn't specify any reason to me," Sharon wondered aloud.

"He wanted to scare poor little Helen to death," Break told her. "I didn't see that he had much of a good reason."

Sharon scoffed disdainfully, giving my hand a comforting squeeze. I momentarily forgot Vincent's unsettling comment.

"I believe we should keep a closer eye on him," Break suggested. "It seems he's trying to cause us trouble. I don't like the way he's been acting."

"Break, we don't have grounds for putting him on probation," Sharon told him with a sigh. "It'll look like one of your biases, and I can't say with certainty that it's not."

Break sighed in return.

"I know you're right, Milady," he told her begrudgingly. "But Vincent - " he spat the name with malice, " - is a _rat_. No good will come of him."

In light of what had just transpired, I was inclined to agree with him. At the same time, however, I couldn't help but see Sharon's point.

"He said he wanted to get a look at me..." I mentioned awkwardly.

Break rolled his eye.

"Nothing that man does makes any sense."

"So...none of that was even official business?"

_So why did I have to deal with it?_

"Goodness, no. It was just a pest wasting everyone's time."

I bit the inside of my cheek to avoid making that horrible teeth-clattering noise.

"But...no offense to you, of course, Helen; what would he be interested in Helen for?"

"Oh, it had something to do with her contract; blah blah blah. I couldn't bother to listen to most of his rubbish."

Sharon sighed.

"Well, Helen...I suppose you ought to get used to this attention. It _is_ pretty odd that the Wolf finally chose someone o contract with, so I really should have seen this coming."

The Wolf's eerie chants reverbrated in my head at her statement, and I shuddered.

"Just what sort of person does it usually contract with?" I thought to ask. though I dreaded the answer.

Sharon blinked, turning to Break for help in answering me. To my chagrin, all the old man did was shrug and give me a vague answer.

"It's only ever had one contract that we know of. What was his name...? Ah, I believe it was a boy called Connor Faire."

I paused a moment before asking tentatively, "What happened to him...?"

"Oh, my, let me see if I remember...he couldn't control the thing, it seemed. For a long while there, people would say 'if you hear the Faire boy scream, you'll soon be screaming, too'. That Wolf devoured so many citizens that even Pandora - or, whatever passed for it in those days - was fearful of going anywhere in the vicinity of it or its contractor. After it had its fill of innocents, it turned on poor little Connor and swallowed him whole before the seal had even made a full revolution."

I was pale, I knew, paler than usual. My blood turned cold at the story's horrific conclusion, and my teeth began clattering together in spite of my best efforts.

_God, am I going to follow in that boy's footsteps...?_

"Don't faint now, Red Riding Hood. There's a possibility that it was a fluke, or that it merely happened because he was an illegal contractor."

Break leaned forward and tugged on the chain around my neck until the pendant seal was out in plain sight. He rested it in his palm and showed it to me.

"This here? This is what keeps all of us from becoming another horror story."

Sharon gave Break a brief, sad glance, but I didn't think to question it. Perhaps it had to do with how his own legal contract was deteriorating his condition.

At any rate, it wasn't my business.

"Alright, break..." I replied hesitantly, though I wasn't all that convinced that I _wouldn't_ become another horror story. "I understand."

He smiled and let the pendant fall back on my chest, where I tucked it into my bodice once more.

"Right. So, don't wonder too hard about that story. My guess is you'll merely die from having too much strain placed on your body."

_Because it's so much cheerier to think my chain will kill me in another way._

"In the meantime, get some rest. Who knows what could happen to someone in your condition if they stress themselves?"

I nodded in agreement and willed myself to lay back down. Part of me wanted to ask Sharon or even just Break to stay with me so I wouldn't have to face the Abyss alone. But, I knew they had work to do. They had lives to get back to that they couldn't place on hold just because the new little servant girl was scared. They couldn't babysit me all the time. So, I had to make do with the final hand squeeze Sharon gave me before they left me to sleep.


	11. 10

_What is he doing here...?_

"Oh, goodness, Master Gilbert, I beg your pardon..."

_I'm only in this ridiculous nightgown! Why didn't anyone warn me?_

"I wasn't informed we had visitors. Please forgive my indecency."

"It's...fine."

"Oh, good. I...I was just on my way to change, actually."

I had only regained control of my legs minutes ago. No one knew yet. I was mostly testing my legs at this point, confident no one of consequence would see me.

"I was only passing on a message to Break, anyway."

"Is he not at breakfast?"

"No, actually. I tho - "

"I knew someone was talking about me. That sneeze seemed to come out of nowhere."

_Speaking of coming out of nowhere..._

Gilbert and I scrambled back and turned to face the eccentric man.

"Goodness gracious!" I exclaimed, my hand flying to my chest.

"Ah, Little Red Riding Hood! You're out and about, mmm? And trying to fluster poor Gilbert, it seems?"

My face grew very warm at this comment, and I stared down at the ground in shame.

"Oh, no...I..."

I trailed off, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"I merely ran into her by mistake," Gilbert finished, rescuing me in a surprising turn of events. "Looking for you, actually."

"And, I suppose it's something _important,_ since you never think to visit me for any other reason."

Break made a face at Gilbert before turning back to me.

"Perhaps you should get dressed, in the meantime. Are you well enough for chores?"

I was still a little woozy, and my legs were still stiff, but I nodded anyway.

"Good," Break decided with a grin. "Go and get dressed then. Oh, and be sure Lady Sharon knows you're up."

* * *

"Milady?"

I creaked the door open slowly.

"I'm well enough to get back to work. Break told me to come see you first."

Not that I wouldn't have. I had actually been hoping she'd be the first to know. She smiled up at me from across the room.

"Oh, Helen! It's good to see you well again. I was about to bring you some tea."

I wasn't sure I could stomach tea.

"Come on, let's have some before you begin."

She took my hand and led me to the kitchen. My heart felt like it was trying to leap from my chest.

"It's still boiling. I hope you don't mind the wait."

"Oh, no, certainly not," I told her, sounding way too eager to spend any amount of time with her.

"Oh, good," she chuckled. "More time to talk, this way."

I nodded and smoothed my skirt nervously.

"I wanted to talk about contracts, actually," she continued. "Specifically, this issue with yours?"

_Is she reprimanding me?_

I must have looked panicked, for Sharon quickly mended her statement with, "Oh, no, Helen, you aren't in any trouble! I was just worried about that pesky drawback, is all."

And, again, I heard that lovesick voice in my head whispering, _She's worried about me._

For a moment, I felt an odd pain in my chest and wondered if emotions truly were connected to the heart. But, I'd hardly call it a good feeling. It was a strange sort of disconnect, hard to describe if you've never experienced it before. I would go so far as to say it felt like a vital string had been connected to the muscle, but somebody had ripped it out from its roots. My hand instinctively flew up to my chest before I continued as though nothing had happened.

"I'm...I'll be okay, Miss Sharon. Don't worry about me. It was dreadful, if I'm honest, but I won't die."

"Well, I'm sure, but...well, I'm just concerned that maybe you aren't keeping time too well. I don't want it to slip your mind and have you lose control."

"Oh, no, Milady, I'm - "

I stopped then, which was expected when the floor began rushing up at my face.

"Helen!"

Sharon knelt next to me, trying to haul me upright. I couldn't seem to get enough air in my lungs all of the sudden. My throat seemed to be constricted. On top of it all, I was back to shaking violently yet again. I could hear a yell from down the hall followed by footsteps.

"Helen, what on Earth happened?" Break demanded, looking genuinely upset.

"The Wolf just ran out of the Manor!" Gilbert added hysterically.

"I-it what?!" I gasped, forcing myself up further but failing to truly make it to my feet.

The feeling of the string being yanked out had intensified. It felt as though a chunk of something had been ripped out of me! What was this?

"It's running amok," Break reiterated, helping me stand on wobbly legs. "Looks like you're back in the field. Didn't take long, did it?"

He chuckled.

"I'll go," Gilbert decided, drawing his pistol and loading it as he ran out the door.

_"Gilbert!"_ Break snapped.

But he was gone.

"You're going to need to go after that man, or he'll shoot down your chain!"

I couldn't blame him for it. He'd probably heard the stories. Besides, Gilbert and I both probably had the same thought: That I'd never make it out to my chain in time to save any lives. Why shouldn't he shoot the dreadful creature, anyway?

"Helen," Break repeated through gritted teeth, almost looking as though he'd seen a ghost. "Go. After. Him."

Evidently, this was more important than I thought.

So, I ran as best as I could, in spite of this strange pain unlike any other.

"Gilbert!" I shouted breathlessly as I met up with him outside and slammed right into his back.

His gun flew from his hands, skidding across the sidewalk.

"HELEN!" he snapped angrily, causing me to shrink and return to shivering.

"B-B-Break sssaid that...that you shouldn't sh-shot the Wolf," I stammered, still breathless from running after him.

"That damn creep!" Gilbert cursed him, pushing me off and standing up. "Helen, we have to stop your abomination of a chain somehow or it's going to go on a murderous rampage!"

I felt tears burn behind my eyes. I knew it was imperative not to shoot it for some reason.

"Then...then I'll have to stop it," I choked, scrambling to my feet and running after the Wolf.


	12. 11

Break laughed the entire time Gilbert begrudgingly dressed my head wounds.

_It wasn't _that_ funny._

"Goodness _gracious,_ Red Riding Hood!" Break laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. "I can't believe you'd be so utterly clumsy! If only I'd been there to see it!"

My face was burning like it never had before as I hung my head and fiddled with my skirt. My stupid, torn, too-long skirt!

"Xerx, quit teasing her," Sharon scolded graciously, kneeling next to me and holding onto my hand.

It didn't help my situation any.

"I cannot help it, Milady. The way Gilbert relayed the story! Tell her, Gilbert; it was too good!"

I could feel the intensity of Gilbert's glare - even though he stood behind me - in the silence that followed.

"I, for one, don't find it particularly _funny_ that this child can't control her chain, Break. You need to keep a closer eye on her if she's not going to take this seriously. And that doesn't mean forcing me to be in charge of her, either!"

"Oh, please, Gilbert, don't pin this on us," Break sighed. "No one knew it was going to break her control over it."

"Two words," Gilbert snapped, cutting the end of the final bandage and tying it off. "Connor. Faire."

With that, he stormed out of the room. And I was shaking again.

"I'm so sorry," I blubbered. "I'm so, so sorry..."

Sharon stood and wrapped her arms around me.

"The important thing you need to remember, Helen," she soothed, "is that we stopped it."

"It...killed...two people," I choked haltingly.

"But it didn't kill more," she offered.

I shook my head and buried it in her shoulder, hugging her tightly as if to keep myself grounded. Somewhere around that point was when I could hear Break leaving the room, and knowing he'd even seen that much made me cry harder. I was a mess.

"Helen, it's alright. Don't listen to Gilbert, okay? He has a lot on his mind right now. He's not mad at you. I don't even think he's angry with Break."

I clenched my hands into fists.

"H-he's right, though," I sobbed. "I can't control the Wolf. I can't handle it's powers...I-I can't even stand upright half the time!"

"Oh, Helen," Sharon cooed, stroking my hair. "Don't get upset over that tripping thing. We all fall down sometimes. The important thing is you got right back up, even though you hit your head so hard."

After that, I couldn't even seem to form words anymore. All I could do was cry and cry and cry. But, it didn't seem to matter so much. Not to Sharon, anyway. She just kept holding me until I calmed down. It was a gesture of good friendship on her part. A sign that we were still just as close as we had been as children. She didn't have any idea how important the gesture was to me. For once, I felt comfortable. I felt at home. And, thanks to her, Gilbert's harsh words finally faded away.

* * *

Being able to cry did, indeed, make me feel a bit better. But, the price for emotional well-being seemed to be a splitting headache, so it was difficult to keep an eye on my chores. The bandaged headwound didn't help any, either, and it didn't take long at all for someone to bring this to my attention.

"Goodness _gracious,_ Helen," Break remarked, taking from me the towel I'd been attempting to fold. "Not your best work. Did Gilbert put those bandages on too tight?"

I shook my head...and instantly regretted the movement.

"Just a little headache. That's all."

The man _tsk_ed at me.

"Just a little headache, and you start wadding up the laundry and thinking it's all good and folded."

He shook his head, his smile reminding me that he was only teasing.

"Perhaps you should lie down?"

"Oh, no, Break; I have so much work to do - !"

"I'm sure Milady will understand. In fact..."

Break paused a moment - clearly for dramatic effect - before turning to me again.

"...Why don't you go _ask her?"_

My face felt like the inside of a volcano. Break knew too much. And he was perfectly shameless in showing it off, to boot. I stared down at the floor in shame, and he laughed a little.

"Oh, Red Riding Hood, you know I'm teasing you."

I flinched at the name, the events from earlier still bothering me. But, I nodded.

"Alright, Break. I...I'll talk to her."

"Very well. I'll take over the laundry for you. Try to get some rest."

I nodded to him once more, and I was on my way.

* * *

I had paused outside of Sharon's door for all of five seconds before walking straight past it without so much as a knock. I wasn't going to cry to her forever! I kept walking down the hall until the front door was in my sights. Then, I broke out into a run. I didn't stop until my feet were planted on the dirt path in the garden. I fell to my knees and shut my eyes, my jaw clenched in perfect silence as I tried to let go of all of my frustration. Then, once I'd practically shut out the rest of the world, I began to do something I never really wanted to do before. I was calling for the wolf.

_"Wolf,"_ I practically growled for the umpteenth time, unbelievably angry that the thing wouldn't show up when it was important. "Face me! Come out!"

After what seemed like much too long a time calling for the Wolf to appear, a gray mist materialized before me. It swirled and floated until it took the form of the Wolf, glaring ravenously at me just like old times.

I scrambled to my feet and dusted myself off, glaring right back in spite of my fear.

"What was that?!" I demanded, feeling incredibly small. "Why did you run away?! I thought you _chose_ to enter into a contract with me!"

It howled, _Freeeeeeeee..._

"If you want to be free so bad, why did you pick me in the first place?"

_Freeeeeee..._

I growled in frustration.

"Then end it! End this stupid contract for good! I don't want to be stuck with you any more than you want to be stuck with me!"

The Wolf turned it's gaze back to me then, a low growl - almost like a purr - sounded in its throat.

_No escape. No way out._

My frustration was growing. I ripped the pendant from my neck, breaking the chain link that held it together.

"Here's your way out!" I cried, stomping on the glass protecting the seal. "Here's your _escape!_ Have your blood back! I don't want it anymore!"

I had no clue, admittedly, what that would do. Looking back, it was a horribly idiotic decision that brought me more trouble than I ever could have dreamed down the road.

The wolf howled again. Only, this time, the sound in my ears was not a howl by any means. It was more like a shriek that could only be described as nightmarish or even demonic. It screamed and screamed and screamed, sounding outraged that I would do such a thing. Then, in a turn of events no one could have seen coming, it leaped into me, merging its body with mine. I fell, my head and my back colliding with the earth for only a second before the latter arched upward. A horrible pain racked my body, and I couldn't contain the scream it pushed from my throat. The flesh just over my heart was the worst of it all, burning until I was sure I couldn't stand it anymore.

Then, it stopped.

I lay there, the broken pendant at my feet, trying to catch my breath.

_Is it gone? Is it finally over?_

I could hear the manor door open, no doubt in response to my screams of agony, and I shakily stood up. I dusted off my dress, thankful I hadn't ruined a second dress in just one day. Footsteps scurried down the garden path toward me, and I hurriedly scooped up the pendant and all of its pieces. With nowhere else to put them, I pulled open my neckline and dropped them into my bustier. The broken glass and severed chain links didn't feel the least bit comfortable rubbing against my skin, but I knew somehow that I couldn't let anyone see what I'd done. There was no telling what sort of reprimand I'd get if it came to light, and I couldn't handle that.

"Helen? What on Earth is the matter?" Break demanded, his brow furrowed in confusion and at least a bit of worry(anyway, that's what I like to think it was). "Why are you out here? Why are you so gray?"

"I needed some fresh air," I told him, my voice weak and shaky. "You know...for my headache. I'm just not feeling well, I suppose."

"And what was that screaming?" Break continued, shaking his hand free of his sleeve before pressing it against the uncovered portion of my forehead.

I froze, my mind racing for some sort of excuse.

"I...I stumbled. Didn't do anything for my head, and I'm sure I've got a few bruises to boot."

I winced, literally feeling the truth of that statement. I had hit all sorts of places on my body rather hard, including my already damaged head.

And yet, Break seemed to be scrutinizing me.

"What is it?" I asked, my heart practically stopping with worry.

"You sounded like you were being tortured, Helen. We need to get you looked at in the morning. Until then, it'd be best for you to sleep for a spell. I'll speak with Miss Sharon about it for you."

He nudged me forward, and I followed his suggestion up until I finally shut my bedroom door.

My chest was still burning, and I couldn't sleep without assessing the damage the Wolf had actually done to me.

I pulled the broken pendant from my bosom and undressed myself slowly, painstakingly. I balked at my reflection.

_A tattoo?!_

I scrambled for the pendant, a horrifying fear weighing down on my stomach. It took every ounce of control not to faint as I stared that the pendant...and the symbol inside of it.

The symbol - the outside of it, anyway - matched the one on my chest. I didn't need anyone to tell me what this meant.


End file.
